Research has explored how the eyes can aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease before the onset of symptoms. Typically, the disease is already advanced when memory and behavior, common signs of this type of dementia, are affected.
“Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain decades before the first symptoms of memory loss,” said neurologist Richard Isaacson from the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, to CNN.
“If doctors can identify the disease in its early stages, people will be able to make choices regarding a healthy lifestyle and manage risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes,” he added.
How early can we see signs of cognitive decline?
A recent study examined donated tissues from the retina and brain of 86 people with varying degrees of mental decline over 14 years, the largest sample ever researched.
The study, published in February in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, found significant increases in beta-amyloid, a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease, in people with Alzheimer’s and early cognitive decline.
Microglial cells decreased by 80% in those with cognitive problems, according to the study. These cells are responsible for repairing and maintaining other cells, including the elimination of beta-amyloid from the brain and retina.
“The findings were also apparent in people with minimal or no cognitive symptoms, suggesting that these new eye tests may be well positioned to assist in early diagnosis.”
“These findings could lead to the development of imaging techniques that allow us to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more accurately,” Isaacson said, “and monitor its progression non-invasively through the eye.”
New Drug for Alzheimer’s Approved
A newly approved medication aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease offers hope to patients but will come at a high price: $26,500 per year.
The drug, called Leqembi from pharmaceutical companies Eisai and Biogen, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease.
This is only the second drug approved in the United States. The first is Biogen’s Aduhelm – aimed at targeting what is believed to be one of the underlying causes of the disease – accumulations in the brain of so-called amyloid plaques.
Due to the high price, experts say the number of people who can obtain the medication is extremely limited. More than 6 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Source: CNN